Finding Us Again
by poeticgrace
Summary: Some relationships just defy all odds. Jarly story that takes place a couple years ago during Sonny's breakdown.
1. Chapter 1

It was another cold and lonely day in Port Charles, as a blonde woman lounged lazily on her porch swing. Her two sons chased each other in the front yard as their loyal bodyguard watched with a smile on his face. He caught Carly's eye and nodded slightly at the sight before him. She returned the smile before shifting her gaze to one of the few things that really mattered to her, the two loves of her life, Michael and Morgan.

"Boys, you better go get changed. It's about time to go to your dad's," Carly called as the boys came bounding up the stairs. Michael held the door open for Morgan, who ducked underneath his older brother's outstreched arm.

Carly stood up and stretched her legs. She looked out at the now empty yard and listened to the silence. Her life was always so quiet with the boys gone. She knew that Sonny had to be in their life, but it was difficult for her to say goodbye to them, even more so recently. Something had shifted in Sonny after the latest bout of violence, he had become even more angry and distant. Up until last week, she had never been afraid that he would hurt her. She knew that when he had his manic attacks, the only person he really wanted to hurt was himself. However, last week, he had screamed at her. When she turned to leave, he had grabbed her and shook her. It only hurt for a few moments but it was enough to scare her and leave an imprint of his fingertips on her shoulder.

Carly shook her head to clear her mind of the disturbing memory just as her cell phone rang. She pulled the tiny silver phone from her pocket and checked the caller I.D. It was about the only person she almost as much as her boys.

"Hey, Jase," she said.

"Are you going to be around later?" Jason asked. "I need to see you."

"What did I do this time?"

"Nothing, look, we'll talk about it when we meet. What do you say, Jake's at five?"

"Sure, I just have to drop off the boys at Sonny's, and then I will head over there."

"Sounds good," Jason said.

"Alright, see ya then," Carly replied just as Jason said her name. "Yeah, Jase?"

"Carly, be careful."

Carly flipped the phone closed as a look of worry played across her face. She called to the boys, who obediently filed out of the house. Locking the door after them, she escorted them to the limo where their bodyguard and Leticia were already waiting. As Morgan climbed into the car after Michael, she tucked their overnight bags into an empty space and sat down beside the boys.

A few minutes later, they were climbing back out the car. Michael grabbed their bags as Carly hoisted Morgan onto her hip with a grunt. "There are my sons!" Sonny called as he walked out to meet them. Carly knew right away that something was going on.

"Sonny, maybe now isn't the best time, maybe they should come tomorrow instead," she replied carefully.

Sonny glared at her. "They're my boys, Carly. I want to see them tonight."

She shook her head at his obvious anger. Carly glanced at Leticia, who took the cue and led the boys inside. "Sonny, what's going on?"

"It's none of your business, Carly. We're not married anymore," he spat.

"I'm well aware of that, but we are still connected through our children. And since they are going to be here tonight, maybe you should clue me in as to why you're acting like this"

"I said it's none of your damn business," he yelled at her. As he leaned closer, Carly could smell the alcohol on his breath. He reached up and grabbed her again, just like he had the week before. Carly spun around to avoid his drunken movement and fell against the sitting rock behind her. Just before she hit the ground, she heard Sonny call her a slut and then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

A few minutes later, Max had propped her up against the rock and was running a cool washcloth over her face. He handed her a bottle of sparkling water and helped her sip a few gulps. "You okay, Mrs. C?"

"I'm in a lot of pain, Max. Where are the boys?" Carly asked, obviously worried.

"Mr. C had one of the guys drive them over to your mom's. He went inside and told me to drive you home or to the hospital."

"That bastard," she mumbled as she became suddenly dizzy. At Max's insistence, she drank more water until the feeling had passed.

"Should I get you home now?"

"No, take me to Jake's."

"But, Mr. C said..."

"Sonny is the reason this happened. Jason is at Jake's, and he needs to see me. And after this, I need to see him."

As she situated herself in the limo, Carly checked her reflection in the mirror. There was a sizable bump on her head, which was covered in dry blood. Carly wiped away what she could. She knew that she needed to go to the hospital, but she had to see Jason first. She tried to clean herself up as much as possible, but it was no use. As they neared the bar, Carly yelled at Max over the seat to get Jason as soon as they arrived and have him come to the car. Within a few minutes, he was opening the door. He usually stoic blue eyes were lit with fire and worry as he slid in next to her. For the first time in as long as she could remember, there was no need for words. He simply folded her in his arms and held her until they reached the emergency room.

Inside the hospital, Carly leaned heavily on Jason as they stood at the nurse's station. Elizabeth looked her over and agreeed that they needed to admit her right away. After thanking Elizabeth, Jason helped Carly into a nearby private room and tucked her into the bed. As they waited for a doctor, Carly began to finally explain what happened.

"Jase, he was so angry, and I just wanted to make sure it was okay to leave the boys. Then, he lunged and grabbed a hold of me. I spun so that he couldn't reach me, and when I did, I fell onto the boulder. I hit my head, and when I woke up, Max told me that Sonny had sent the boys to my mom's and told him to drive me wherever I wanted."

"He's never going to get near you or those boys again," Jason said calmly.

"But he's their father, Jase. I can't," she began.

"Either he gets help or he can't be around the kids. You know that any judge will see it your way, all things considered. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you and the boys."

"I'm tired, Jase," she said as her eyes fluttered closed. The dizziness had returned even more strongly than before. As her eyes fell heavily shut, Jason watched as she slept.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Carly woke to a bright and sunny hospital room. Jason slept hunched in the plastic chair next to her bed, his leather coat spread over his lap and his left hand clutching hers. "Jase," she whispered inaudibly. He stirred slightly but stayed asleep. On the long table near the window, she saw two vases of flowers and a homemade card that had to be from the boys. A stray tear slipped from her blue eyes at the very sight of the card. She squinted to read the names on the flowers. One was from her mother, she could barely make out Bobbie's careful signature. The other vase, which had no accompanying card, was a mass of white lilies and roses. She knew who had brought those, they were the work of Jason. He'd probably made some guard drive all over Port Charles in the middle of the night to find those flowers.

"Like them?" he said suddenly. She simply smiled at him.

"Jase, I can't go back to the house. That's his house, he bought it for me and the boys."

"I already thought about that, you can come stay with me until I get something worked out."

"What about Sam?"

The thought hadn't even occurred to Jason. He had called her last night to tell her that he was staying at the hospital. She had offered to come sit with him, but he had refused. He said that she needed her sleep, but he really just wanted to be alone with Carly. "You let me worry about Sam, you need to just concentrate on getting strong. The doctor said that even though your injury isn't serious, you need your rest."

She smiled at him. "You're always there for me. So, when do I get out of this joint?"

"Well, if I promised to make you stay in bed, they said I could take you home this afternoon. Is that fast enough?"

She shook her head, "Never. Then, we'll get the boys and go to your penthouse"  
"I think the boys should probably stay with Bobbie one more night. I know you miss them and want to see them, but it's probably the best."

She wanted to argue with him but knew that he was right. "Okay, so just you and me, we'll go home."

"Carly, I need to ask you one more thing..." She nodded for him to go on. "Was this the first time?"

She looked down at her lap and shook her head. "No. Something is wrong with him, Jason. He hasn't hurt the boys, but he has been violent toward me when I take them. I know that he won't hurt them, so I've never been afraid to leave them. That was, until yesterday. Something was different, he was so animalistic."

"Is that what you were dreaming about last night when you were fighting in your sleep?" She nodded sadly and he just embraced her once again. 


	4. Chapter 4

By that night, Carly was exhausted. He had brought her back to the penthouse and settled her into her old bedroom. They had stopped by the house and picked up two suitcases of things for her and one each for the boys. Jason's men would return later to pack the rest of their belongings up until they could find her somewhere else to live.

"Where's Sam?" Carly asked as she pulled the red quilt up to her chin. Jason shrugged and muttered something about her being out. "Well, good night."

"Trying to get rid of me?"

"Never, I thought maybe you wanted to go."

"No, I thought maybe you would like me to stay here until you fall asleep."

She nodded, "That would be nice."

Jason sat down in the overstuffed armchair he had pulled next to her bed. She handed him the white cotton blanket that laid across the foot of the bed. It only took a few minutes for her to drift asleep. Jason watched her intently until he was sure that she was asleep. He quietly flipped off the lamp and pulled the door closed behind him. He wasn't tired enough to sleep quite yet so he went back to the living room. Sam was sitting on the couch when he reached the bottom stair, a look of obvious distaste in her eyes.

"Not now, Sam," he said quietly as he walked past the couch to the pool table. He racked the balls and broke them quickly while she watched from her perch.

She started to argue back when a scream rang out from upstairs. Jason threw his cue onto the table and hurried up the stairs in record time. Carly was sobbing by the time he reached her. She just laid her head against his chest and cried until she could barely breathe. Then, Jason helped her recline back against her pillow as exhaustion overtook her body.  
"You need to sleep, Carly," Jason reminded her.

"Will you stay with me, Jase? All night?" she pleaded.

He nodded. "Of course."

"Thanks, Jase."

"Any time, Carly, any time."

"Hey, Jase?"

"Yeah?"

"There's a book in my bag if you want something to look at. I think it's one of your old favorites," she said as she fell asleep once again.

After he was sure that she was comfortable, he pulled the suitcase to the chair. Tucked beneath her satin robe, he found exactly what she had been talking about. It was the book, their book, the one that he used to read to Michael when he couldn't sleep as a baby. The Africa book had gotten them all through a few long nights in Michael's earliest days. He smiled as he laid the book in his lap.

Flipping it open, he went straight to the page on the giraffes. Michael had always loved the giraffes. Bookmarking the page was a manilla envelope, on which Carly had written "My Family" in her familar scrawl. He pulled back the flap and dumped the photographs on the open book. There were only five. There was a photograph of the boys with Lucas at the park and another of them with Carly and Bobbie at the Hospital Christmas party. The other three are the ones that really caught his eye. One was of him with Carly and Michael just after he had been born. They looked so young. There was another one of himself with Carly at her club's opening a few years ago. She had insisted that they dance together, and her lead hostess had come by to snap a photo. The last one was more recent, at Michael's birthday party. He had his arm around her and the boys stood in front of them. They looked so happy, they looked like a family. As he stared at the photograph, he knew what he had to do and he knew that nothing would be the same ever again.


	5. Chapter 5

Jason watched Carly's chest rise and fall with each breath. It had been a rough night. She'd had trouble sleeping. Jason knew what it was like to have your dreams haunt you, and he hated to watch her go through the turmoil. Carefully, he brushed a stray strand of her blonde hair away from her face as he looked down at her.

"Carly, I'm doing this for you, for our family," he whispered to the sleeping woman before him. Jason covered his face in frustration, contemplating what his next step would mean. With a deep sigh of resolution, he headed for the hallway. Before he pulled the heavy oak door shut, he looked back at her once again. The amber light from the morning's sunrise shone across her hair. No matter what anyone else thought, Carly was an angel in that moment. With her halo of sunlight, he could only see the good in her. And like no one else in his life had ever done before, he knew that she would always see only the good in him.

As he slipped into the hallway and headed down the stairs, he pulled the slim silver phone from his back pocket. When he reached the bottom of the staircase, he spotted Sam's dark hair splayed over the edge of the couch. He pulled the edge of the white blanket over her tiny frame and watched her sleep for a moment. He knew that his next step would affect everyone in his life, from Sonny and the boys to Sam and Emily. No one else understood why he loved Carly, but he did. Quite aware that they would rather see him keep Sonny in his life than Carly, Jason knew that he was in for a battle. Sam and Emily would never believe Sonny's walk on the dark side had resulted in him hurting a woman, least of all Carly. Then again, they didn't know Sonny the way he did. It didn't matter, Jason realized to himself, he had to do what was best for his family, and that included Carly whether anyone else liked it or not.

"I need to see you," he stated solemnly as the call connected.

"What about? Let me guess. After Carly fell and hit her head, she ran off to you like she always does," Sonny barked.

Jason took a deep breath, vowing to stay calm until he could meet Sonny face to face. "We both know that's not how it went down. Sonny, we're worried."

"Don't you worry about me."

"Look, fine, you don't want me to worry about you, then I won't. But Carly and Michael and Morgan, that is my family. If you want to mess up your life, I won't try to stop you. But I will not let you hurt Carly," Jason spat, as all prior intention flooded from his body.

Sonny grunted. "Are you loyal to me, Jason? Do you trust me?"

"I trust you in business, Sonny, I always have. And once upon a time, I trusted you with my family. You broke Carly's heart, and then she broke yours. Time after time, I stood by and watched you destroy the family that I helped build. I have always been loyal to you, Sonny, but I will not be loyal to you if I have to choose between you and my family. Carly and those boys, they come first. They're what matter."

"Then, there's nothing else to say, Jason. You said you would always be loyal to me, and you didn't keep your word. As of now, I have nothing further to say to you."

Jason rolled his eyes at Sonny's dramatics. "Fine, Sonny. Just understand, Carly and the boys are under my protection now. I will do whatever it takes to protect them, and that includes taking you down if I have to. I'll be in touch through Justus about the business end."

"Fine," Sonny replied shortly.

"One more thing, Sonny. The men, the territory. I'm taking who and what belongs to me."

"Nothing belongs to you. I built this, I built you."

"We'll see about that. You're nothing without me, and I guess it's time I prove it," Jason scoffed as he hung up the phone without another word. 


	6. Chapter 6

The minute Jason hung up the phone, a fully-dressed Sam was on her feet and in his face. She was in disbelief over the conversation she had just heard. The entire time she had known him, Jason had preached about the importance of loyalty to Sonny. Time and time again, she had watched Jason put Sonny and the business before their relationship, before her. And now, because Sonny did something else to upset Carly, Jason was severing all ties. She'd had enough of Carly.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on? Why's Carly sleeping in our spare room, and why are you cutting Sonny out of your life?" she demanded.

Jason stared at her for a moment. "Look, I don't know if Carly really wants everyone knowing what's going on, but basically, she needs me right now."

"First of all, Jason, I'm not everyone. I am your fiancee. Second, when doesn't Carly need you? It's always something with her."

"Sam," Jason began before he was interrupted.

"Seriously, every time she messes up, you're there to clean up after her. Every time she falls, you catch her. It's pathetic," Sam said harshly.

"She's my family, Sam, what do you expect me to do? He hurt her and more than once. I promised Carly a long time ago that I would always take care of her, long before I ever met you. I don't go back on my promises, you know that," he replied softly.

As Jason spoke, Carly stopped at the top of the stairs. She was just about to make her way down to explain everything to Sam and to defend Jason when she heard him tell the feisty brunette those words. Infamous for eavesdropping, she rested her tired body against the wall and listened to the argument in complete silence.

Sam shook her head in disbelief. "Why do you always have to be the one who takes care of her? Why not her own family? She has Bobbie, and now she has her father. Hell, let Alcazar take care of her, I don't care. She's so weak that she has to rely on you for everything."

"Carly is the strongest person I know, Sam. She has been through so much, been knocked down so many times. And yet, there she is in, still in the middle of things and fighting to make the best possible life for her kids. I love those boys like they are my own, and I will do whatever I have to do to make sure that that happens," Jason stated angrily.

Sam winced at the obvious anger in his blue eyes. "I'm tired of coming in second, Jason. To Sonny, to the business. But most of all, I'm tired of coming in second to Carly. We are supposed to be getting married."

"You knew all this about me when you agreed to marry me," Jason said. "Carly is in my life, and I will not kick her out of it just because you don't like her. She needs me right now, and I have to be there for her."

"I don't know if I can do this anymore, Jason. She can't live here with us, I can't do it," she said.

"Well, then you don't have to do it anymore," he said softly as he stared into her eyes.

She smiled. "Thank you, Jason. Do you want me to tell her or should you?"

"That's not what I mean, Sam," he retorted. "I mean, if you don't like her being here, then you can go. If you can't accept her being a part of my life, if you can't do this anymore, then leave."

A stray tear fell down Sam's face. "Jason, you don't mean that. Say you don't mean that," she cried.

"Can you accept this? Can you accept that this is the way I am?" he asked.

Silently, she shook her head no. "Not anymore, I deserve better."

"Maybe you do. Maybe you deserve someone who is going to love only you and not have anyone else matter in their life. I'm sorry that I can't be that person for you.

"I'm sorry, too," she whispered. "I'm going to go ahead and go to Hawaii for a few days to see Danny like I had planned. Maybe we can talk when I get back or something."

"We can, but Sam, nothing is going to change while you are gone. This problem isn't going to go away. We can't sweep it under the rug or pretend that it doesn't matter."

"This is really it then?" she asked timidly as Jason nodded. "Well, then, can you send my things somewhere? I don't know where, but somewhere..."

"I'll set you up in one of the penthouses across town, have everything transferred into your name. You deserve at least that much, if not more," he told her.

"Thank you," she said as she reached for the small suitcase that she had sat at the foot of the stairs last night before she had fallen asleep. She sat it next to the door before walking back toward Jason. She stood on her tiptoes and looked into the steely blue eyes of the only man she had ever truly loved. "I love you, Jason Morgan. No matter what, don't you forget that I have loved you."

A sad smile played across Jason's face. "Me too," he said simply.

Sam cupped his face in her hands and placed a soft, gentle kiss on his lips. Then, with a sad smile of her own, she threw the strap to the heavy bag over her shoulder and shut the door quietly behind her.

"Goodbye," Jason whispered inaudibly as he collapsed on the couch, tears streaming down his tanned face. From her place at the top of the stairs, Carly watched her best friend in the entire world break down. Quietly, she climbed down the stairs and sat down next to Jason. He didn't even look at her. Instead, he just put his arm around her and pulled her body to his. As she laid her head on his shoulder, her breath fell into sync with his. In the palpable silence, each of them escaped into their own thoughts, their own worries, their own fears. Now, they had both lost the people they thought they had loved most in the entire world.


	7. Chapter 7

Two days later, Carly looked around the living room at the stacks of boxes everywhere. Clothes were strewn over the back of the beige couch, and the boys' toys were tucked into baskets beneath the coffeetable. Jason's desk was crowded with her files, and the rest of her life was chaotically organized in various containers throughout the room. Everything she had was in this room, and as she looked at it, it suddenly didn't seem like all that much.

"Here's fine, Max," she told the burly bodyguard as he placed the final carton on the floor at her feet. The last box was the most important box, and she wanted to know exactly where it was. As soon as he had retreated for the hallway, Carly bent down and tore away the packing tape. These were the momentos that mattered the most to her. Carefully unwrapping each object, she laid them out on the soft carpet before her.

There was a collection of drawings and writings from the boys organized into a beautiful leatherbound book that Sonny had given to her for Mother's Day last year. Photographs of the boys over the years, a complete history of their birthdays, Christmas mornings, Easter egg hunts, Halloween costumes, haircuts gone awry and momentous firsts. In a light blue bag, she found a silk handkerchief from her mother, Virginia. Also tucked inside the bag was beautiful wood bracelet Bobbie had given her. It was the first gift she had ever received from her biological mother. There was a scrap of material from each of the outfits she had worn when she married Sonny. And at the bottom of the box was a velvet drawstring bag.

As she unknotted the bag, the boys came bounding in the front door with Jason in toe. "Hey, mom," Michael said as he threw himself onto the floor next to her. Mimicking his brother, Morgan greeted his mother and situated himself in her lap. "What ya doin?"

"Just looking through a box of my favorite things," she answered.

"Oh, cool, let me see," he said as he started rummaging through the mess on the floor. "Hey, this is awesome, I didn't know you had all these." Carly watched as Michael and Morgan paged through the book. They laughed at a few pieces and soon moved onto the photographs Carly had collected. Morgan pointed at a picture of Michael dressed up as a girl for Halloween and burst into a fit of giggle. The laughter proved infectous, and before they knew it, the three of them were laughing until they could barely breathe.

From the doorway, Jason watched the three of them interact. They weren't even aware he was in the room. He cleared his throat to remind them of his presence. Looking at her, he was fairly certain he hadn't seen Carly this content in ages. Even more so, she hadn't been this beautiful...well, ever.

"Hi," she mouthed at him, returning his intense gaze. He nodded and smiled as she shifted her gaze back to the boys, who were now making fun of a picture of Carly from high school.

"You have to see this, Jason," Michael laughed as he held up a snapshot of Carly with big hair and a short cheerleading uniform.

Within a few minutes, the boys had grown tired of the photos and escaped upstairs to play videogames in the bedroom Jason had set up for them between his room and Carly's. Carly filed the photographs back into the box with the album and light blue bag. Only the velvet drawstring bag remained untouched, still resting on the floor next to her.

"What's that?" Jason asked as he sat down opposite her, leaning his back against the desk.

Carly pretended to ignore him. "Well, I think they got everything finally."

"Yeah, it looks like you took over the penthouse."

"I could get a storage unit, I'm sure it's driving you nuts to have all this stuff everywhere."

"No, you know that I love having you and the boys here. And nice try at changing the subject. What's in the bag, Carly?"

Carly silently untangled the strings and removed two velvet boxes. She opened the first box and removed a beautiful ring. "This was from Sonny when we got married. At one point, this ring meant everything to me. I thought that as long as I had it on my left hand, it would all be okay."

Jason opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it when she continued. "I was wrong. What I should have known, what I knew all along but forgot, was that what is first is always the best." She opened the second box and removed the diamonds.

"Our diamonds," he said as she slid the ring onto her left hand. He reached for it, carefully inspecting the dazzling jewel as he rubbed his thumb across her fingers.

"Still a perfect fit," she said, caught up in the moment and oblivious to the rest of world beyond Jason at that moment.

He stared at the ring in disbelief, shocked that she still kept it with her after all these years. "You had it in the box with all these things. Carly, I know how much these things matter to you."

"Jase, I wouldn't have had any of these things if it wasn't for this, if it wasn't for you. You gave me my family. You gave me my life," she insisted as she gripped his hand.

A loud knock banged against the door, ruining the intensely private moment. "Come in," Jason yelled without turning around or dropping Carly's hand. "Sonny."


	8. Chapter 8

"I'm here for my boys," Sonny told Carly. Suddenly aware of what had been happening, he looked at Carly with pure disgust. "Having fun playing house, Carly?"

"Sonny," Jason warned, but Sonny persisted.

"Must be nice to always have a boy on the side, eh, Carly? He got you a rock once, you figure if you do enough work maybe you can get another one out of him."

"Get out, now," Jason said evenly. He grabbed Sonny by the shoulder, leading him toward the door. Sonny tried to get away, but he was no match for Jason's stature and strength.

"Get your hands off me," Sonny ordered. "I'm here to take the boys to my house."

Carly shook her head vehemently. "No, Sonny."

"I don't think you understand, this is not up for negotiation."

"Not right now, you can't take them," she replied firmly.

"I will take my children any time I want to have them. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it," he spat. "Now get them."

"Dad?" Michael said in a loud whisper from the top of the stairs. Morgan huddled behind his older brother, fear all too evident in the small child's eyes.

"C'mon boys, we'll go over to my house and play video games. I'll even let you eat some junk food," he prodded.

Michael shoved Morgan back toward the hall, trying his best to protect his brother. "No, Dad. We're not going."

"I am your father, you will do as I say," he insisted. He scrambled up the stairs toward the two chlidren, scooping Morgan up into his arms. As he reached for the other boy, Michael darted down the stairs past him and stood between Jason and Carly in front of the door. "No."

Sonny sat Morgan down on the edge of the couch and crouched in front of Michael until he was at eye level. "Michael, I'm your father, and I love you. Don't you want to see me?"

"Yes, but not when you're like this, Dad. You're sick. You're scaring Morgan. Do you want him to be scared of you? He's little, he doesn't understand," Michael explained carefully.

"Boys, go upstairs, we'll be up in a mintue," Jason told them. Michael grabbed his brother's hand and disappeared quickly.

"You're not their father, don't tell them what to do," he yelled as he turned to Carly. "And you, you bitch, this is all your fault. You turned them against me."

"Sonny," she began.

"I told you once, and I'll tell you again. They are my boys and I will see them. There is nothing you can do about it."

"Are you willing to bet your life on that?" Jason inquired cooly. As Sonny nodded arrogantly, Jason grabbed the small man by the arm. Dragging him into the hall, he pinned Sonny against the wall next to the elevator. "You only live as long as I let you live, Sonny. The boys and Carly would be devestated if anything happened to you. I don't want to hurt them like that, but if I have to do it to protect them, I will."

"You wouldn't kill me, Jason."

"I wouldn't count on it, Sonny. You took away my family once, and I'll be damned if I watch you do it again. The hurting stops now. You will not hurt those boys. They are the most important thing in the world to Carly."

"What about you, Jason? What do you get out of this? What's important to you?"

"Everything you had, everything that is in that apartment. That's what is important to me. And you know what, Sonny, those boys are the most important thing in the world to me, too," he answered as he punched the elevator button.

"And Carly?"

"She matters just as much to me."

The doors opened and Jaosn pushed Sonny backward into the waiting elevator. "Ha, she's already got you under her spell. Well, this little family that you speak of, it doesn't exist, Jason."

"Sonny, I don't think I've ever seen you this scared. You realize that everything is gone, don't you? Your children, your wife, they are in my home. Our home now. They came to me, they want to be with me."

"They are mine," he said as he lunged for Jason.

Jason laughed at the man's pathetic attempt to strike him. "Sonny, it took me this long to realize it, but I have figured out a few things over the past few days. I know that I never stopped being a father to Michael, and that I love Morgan just as much. I realized that I have wasted so many years being loyal to you for the boys and Carly, just to make sure that they were taken care of and protected. And most of all, I realized that I am in love with that woman in there."

"You're what?" Carly screamed from the other side of the wall. Her words were then followed by a loud thud and a muttered curse word. The door slowly swung open and Carly stared at Jason with an open mouth.

"I'm in love with you." 


	9. Chapter 9

"I'm in love with you, Carly," Jason repeated, looking intently into her eyes.

"You're what?!" Sonny demanded.

Jason glanced at him, annoyed that he was still present. "I think you were just going," he reminded him as he pushed the elevator button again. Sonny opened his mouth to say something as the elevator doors shut before him. Jason pinched the bridge of his nose and turned his attention back to Carly.

"Jase, did you mean what you said?" she asked. "If you were just saying it to annoy Sonny, tell me now and we will forget about it. I won't even get upset."

"I meant it," he said quietly as he walked toward her. "Carly, when you showed up that day, everything I have been trying to deny for so long came rushing to the surface. I was loyal to Sonny and you were in love with him, so I did whatever I could to make sure you two stayed together. I told myself it was because I was protecting my family, but really, it was about me protecting you. About making you happy."

"Jase," she interrupted.

"Let me say this. For once, don't interrupt me and let me get this all out. I've wanted to tell you this for so long, and if I don't do it now, I don't know when I'll get the chance."

Carly nodded as he continued, "When I figured out that he had hurt you, I wanted to kill him. Everything else I ever knew and felt about Sonny went out the window. The only thing that I cared about was keeping you and the boys safe and happy. It didn't even occur to me to consider Sam. It was about Michael, Morgan and you. Having you come back into my home brought me more alive than I have been in years, Carly, and it's only been a few days. But I knew, I knew the very first night when I watched you sleep. As soon as I found those pictures, I knew I had to get my family back."

"Oh, Jase," she murmered as she moved closer to him. She cupped his stong face in her hands, wanting to kiss him but not dare breaking the moment.

"I have loved you in one way or another for as long as I can remember. You have been my lover, my best friend, my soul mate, my saving grace. I told you once, a very long time ago, that I loved you, and I am telling you again. I love you, Carly," he said as he pulled her tight to his body.

She looked at him skeptically, trying to decide if he was finished. "Done?" Jason nodded, indicating that it was her turn to speak. "Every time anything, good or bad, has ever happened in my life, you have been the person I have wanted to tell everything to. When Sonny and I fell apart, you were there to put me back together. Whatever mistake I have made, you have loved me and not judged me no matter what. But most importantly, when I came to you and needed a father for Michael, you became the most important man in our life. I loved you then, Jase, and I love you still."

With the words, Carly felt years of weight fall from her shoulders. In her usual bold fashion, she leaned forward and captured Jason in a deep kiss. Running her fingers through his dirty blonde hair, she let herself revel in the bliss. She was only half-aware of his arms around her waist. After a few moments, Jason pulled away and looked down at her. She leaned her head against his chest as he dropped a light flutter of a kiss on the crown of her head.

"This changes everything, Carly," he whispered. "We can't go back."

"I don't want to go back, I've lived enough of my life without this, without us. I'm just finding us again, I'm not about to stop before we get it all figured out," she replied. She turned out of his arms and grabbed for his hand. Intertwining her fingers in his, she led him into the living room and toward the stairs.

"Me neither," he agreed as he paused on the bottom stair. "What should we do now?"

"We should go upstairs and play with our boys," Carly told him with a bright smile. "We're a family now, and I think it's about time we start acting like it." 


	10. Chapter 10

A few weeks later, Carly came gliding down the stairs and into the living room. Jason was standing with his back to her, looking out the window next to the pool table. Cell phone in hand, Carly could tell that he was dicussing business by the tension evident in his back and the hushed, even tone in his voice. Wanting to embrace him from behind but knowing how he was when it came to his work, Carly quietly seated herself on the couch and waited until he ended the call.

Still unaware of her presence, Jason spoke to the man on the other end. "Sonny has to be dealt with, Max. When you came to work for me, you have up all loyalty you had toward him. If he wants to make a move against me, then he has to be aware of the reprecussions."

"I know, boss. I just want to make sure you know what you're doing," Max said wearily.

"It's not your job to question me, it's your job to do what I tell you to do," Jason ordered sternly. Then, his voice softened. "Sorry, Max. It's just that, he made a threat against Carly. I know he wouldn't hurt the boys, but I can't say the same thing for her. Or myself for that matter. The boys need her, and she needs me. They all need me to be here to protect them."

"We'll get it done, Jason," Max said confidently. "I mean, boss."

Jason laughed shortly. "Max, Jason is fine. In fact, it's better than fine. You're my second in command, my most trusted confidant in business."

"I understand," he replied before the call was ended. Jason looked across the water below and closed his eyes in seemingly deep contemplation.

"What threat?" Carly asked as Jason whirled around.

He looked at Carly and frowned deeply. "You weren't supposed to hear that."

"Well, I did, and I'm glad I did. Tell me what's going on," she insisted.

"Sonny made a move. He has indicated that he will do whatever necessary to get the boys back into his custody," Jason explained.

"That can't happen!" Carly cried.

Jason nodded. "It won't, Carly. But I need you to understand something. I am going to have to do whatever necessary to make sure that doesn't happen. I don't want it to end with him getting hurt, or worse, but I will do it if I have to."

"I don't want him to die," she whispered with a shiver.

"I know, but you have to understand that it might happen."

"Whatever it takes to keep him away from my boys. They need to be safe, and if that is the only way to do it, then do what has to be done. Just try, Jase. Promise me that."

He nodded as he drew her up into his arms. He kissed her forehead tenderly, letting the quiet blanket the room. Upstairs, he could hear the boys laughing and the occasional hum of a video game. She leaned her chin up toward Jason, softly kissing him. His cell phone rang out, breaking the otherwise perfect moment.

He looked at her apologetically as he punched the keypad. "Morgan."

Carly watched as Jason listened to the other end of the conversation. Anger swept over his face and then quickly disappeared. She started to get up from the couch, but he grabbed her wrist and playfully pulled her back to him. "Got it," he said finally before throwing the phone into the nearby chair.

"I've..."

"You've gotta go to work," Carly finished for him. She kissed him again briefly before walking to the bottom of the stairs. After calling for the boys to come down, she looked back at him. "When will you be home?"

"No idea."

"Be safe?"

"Always," he said as the boys bounded into the room. "I've gotta go to work for a little while. Do you think you two can take care of your mama for me?" The boys nodded obediently before hugging Jason. "Be good."

"We will," they replied in unison.

"Go on up, and I'll be up in a second to play a game with you," Carly said, patting the boys on the head as they walked past her. Once they had disappeared, she wrapped her arms around his strong frame.

"Breathe," he whispered into her hair.

"Hmmm?"

"You're holding your breath, breathe. I really have to go," he replied with one last kiss.

He shut the door firmly behind him, and Carly leaned against the door. The black telephone on the desk rang, forcing her to move. She hoped it was Jason, but the screen indicated otherwise. The number was not recognized.

"Hello?"

"Carly."

"Sonny."

"I guess I've still got it," he said smartly.

"What does that mean?"

"Jason just walked out of the building, and you're in the living room. Where are the boys?"

"Upstairs."

"Check again, Carly, check again," he laughed as the line went dead. 


	11. Chapter 11

Carly hit her knees as the line went dead. Tears instantly falling from her eyes, she fell into a deep sob as Sonny's final words sunk into her mind. For a moment, she thought maybe that it was all a cruel, harsh joke. As the thought crossed her mind, she raced up the stairs and into the boys' bedroom. Once inside, she found an empty room, the balcony door wide open and toys scattered across the floor. Walking over to the balcony, Carly looked at the ground below. Fear consumed her as she reached down to pick up Morgan's favorite red firetruck. Fingering the cool metal surface, Carly aimlessly wondered back to the living room.

She sat the truck next to the phone as logic entered the picture. She picked up the black receiver and dialed Jason's cell. It rang a few times as Carly worried that he wouldn't pick up. On the fifth ring, he answered.

"What is it, Carly?" Jason said distractedly.

"They're gone, Jase," she whimpered. "Sonny took them."

On the other end of the line, Jason's jaw dropped. "He what?"

"He called, said he knew where we both were. Then, he asked where the boys were, and I told him that they were upstairs. I didn't hear a sound, Jase. And when I went up there, the door to the balcony was open. The room was empty, just the toys left behind."

"Carly, I need you to think. Was there anything out of the ordinary in the room?"

"I don't know. They're gone," she repeated.

"Think, baby," he begged.

"I can't think of anything, I didn't see anything."

"Okay, I want you to go out into the hall and get Max. I posted him out there when I left because he's the only one I trusted to watch you."

carly went into the hall and grabbed Max's arm. As she pulled him into the apartment and deadbolted the door, she handed Max the receiver to the phone.

"What's going on?" Max said into the phone.

"Carly got a call from Sonny, he took the boys. Who was on the perimeter?"

"Raymond."

"He's fired. Now, I need you to take Carly to a safehouse. Get Bobbie and Lucas there, too. She's going to put up a fight, but you can't let her have her way. I'll talk to her, hopefully that will help," he explained.

"Then what?"

"Once they're safe, we make our move. Sonny won't hurt the boys physically, but he is going to get to them through Carly and me. He'll move them around a lot, I know where all his safehouses and other properties are, so he'll go somewhere new."

"I'll put a call into some of the guys still on the inside," Max said.

"Get them to a safehouse, and then, call me. Don't tell Carly anything I have told you," Jason ordered.

With that, Max handed Carly the receiver. "Jase?"

"You have to go with Max to a safehouse. Sonny doesn't know about it, no one does. I'm going to send someone to take your mom and Lucas there too, just in case."

"No, I have to help you find the boys," she replied back.

"I need you to be safe so that I can do my job. Do you trust me, Carly?"

"With my life."

"Then trust me now. I won't be able to do anything until I know you're safe. I don't want to have to worry about you on top of everything else. Can you do that for me?"

She nodded silently before answering, "Yes, I'll go. I hate it and I don't want to do it, but I trust you. Jase, I'm scared."

"I'm scared too," he admitted. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Bring our boys home."

Carly hung up the phone and looked at Max. "You have five minutes to pack, Carly, and then I have to get you out of here. I sent James to pick up Bobbie and Lucas, they'll meet us there."

Carly nodded as she ran up the stairs. Throwing clothes and anything else she could think of into her bag, Carly packed as quickly as she could. She looked around the room one last time and headed for the stairs. Suddenly remembering, she rushed back and picked up the Africa books and envelope of pictures. Downstairs, she tucked the truck and one of Michael's favorite hats into her bag.

"Let's go," she demanded. "The sooner I get there, the sooner my boys come home." 


	12. Chapter 12

Two hours later, Carly threw her bag into a red velvet chair inside the safehouse. Another limo pulled up as she peeked out the window. A tall, dark man got out of the driver's seat and walked around to let her mother and brother out of the car. Bobbie gripped Lucas' arm as the guard followed behind them with their luggage.

"Mama!" Carly nearly screamed as Bobbie came into the house. She threw her arms around her mother, instantly breaking down into tears once again.

Bobbie stroked her daughter's hair tenderly as Lucas stood beside them. "Sweetie."

"Hey, Lucas," Carly said as she broke the embrace and hugged her brother.

"I'm so sorry, Carly. I hope Jason kills him," Lucas whispered.

"Who filled you in?"

"Jason called me while we were in the car to explain everything. We didn't get much explanation when we were basically kidnapped from the brownstone," she said, eyeing the guard with a glint of contempt.

"Mama, they were just doing what Jason told them to do," Carly said wearily. "I'm so tired."

"Why don't you get some sleep, sweetie? We'll be here," Bobbie replied.

"Come on, Sis, I'll even go tuck you in," Lucas said.

Carly looked at him with the warmest smile she could manage. Though they had never been close, they were still brother and sister. And at the end of the day, if either of them needed the other, they would be there for each other. When everything was over and she had her family back, she was going to work on getting to know Lucas better. The boys needed to know their uncle, and she needed to know her brother.

Bobbie watched Lucas lead Carly up the stairs before she pulled out the phone she had stowed in her hangbag. "Jason, we're here."

"How is she?"

"Lucas is putting her to bed now. She's holding up, but she's tired."

"Thanks for calling, Bobbie. I'll send word as soon as I can," he told her before flipping the phone closed. Jason looked across the table at Max and nodded. "Everyone's there, we can start."

"What do we know?"

"Stan tracked the limo to Sonny's house and then the airport. The jet took off about an hour after the boys were taken. He called in several flight plans, changing destinations at least four times."

"But?" Max inquired, noting the hesitation in Jason's voice.

"I don't think they went far."

"Where do you think they went?"

"I think they're in the most obvious place in the world. Sonny knows that I know all his tricks, and that is what he is expecting me to do. Knowing that, Sonny is going to do the exact opposite. They're in the last place he would expect me to look."

"Where's that?"

"Port Charles." 


	13. Chapter 13

Sonny looked out the window and out at the dark night sky. He could hear his cell phone ring from its place in his blazer pocket, but he ignored it. Upstairs, Michael and Morgan were playing the latest video game he'd had specially shipped from New York City. They had no idea what was going on, only that they were going to spend some much-needed time with their father. They thought he was just picking them up for the weekend. Little did they know, he had every intention of waiting until Carly and Jason left town to search for them, and then he would disappear with his two sons for good.

"Dad!" Michael called from upstairs. "We're tired. Can we call Mom before we go to sleep?"

"Your mom and Jason went away from the weekend," Sonny answered as he walked up the stairs.

"Without telling us?" Morgan whined.

"Yeah, without telling us?" Michael echoed. "We can just call their cell then."

Sonny shook his head. "They went to one of the islands. No reception there. I just tried calling the house, but they didn't answer. They're probably at dinner or something."

Michael eyed his father skeptically. "Are you sure?" Sonny nodded. "Okay, well, I want to call them first thing in the morning, then."

"Sure, son, whatever you want. Let's get you two to bed, it's been a long day," Sonny told his sons.

Across town, Jason stared out at the same night sky that Sonny had been staring at minutes before. "What did you find out, Max?"

"I called Tom to see what he could tell me. He said that Sonny went to pick up the boys, so that's probably why it was so quiet. Apparently, Sonny told them that Carly and you had went out of town and asked him to stop by to pick them up."

"What does Leticia know? Anything?"

"She hasn't heard from Sonny since the boys were taken. She's beside herself with worry," Max commented. "Anyhow, Tom said that Sonny had bought a new safe house but that only Renaldo knows where it is. He was the driver that day. I tried to talk to him, but..."

"We'll have to make him talk. Do whatever it takes Max, but get him here."

Max nodded as he reached down to pat the handgun tucked in his waistband. Once he had left the room, Jason dialed Carly's number from memory. He hadn't spoken to her in hours, and she was probably asleep. Still, he wanted to hear her voice, and if the best he got was her voicemail, it would be enough to get him through the next few hours."

"Hello?" Carly answered groggily.

"Hey," he said softly. "Did I wake you up?"

"Yeah, but it's okay. I'm glad you did. What's going on?"

"I'm working on it. I don't know when I'm going to be able to call you again, so I wanted to it now. Something big is about to go on, Carly."

"Should I be worried?"

"No, don't worry."

"You know that I will anyhow. Jase?"

"Yeah?"

"Be safe. I can't lose you too," she said in the smallest voice he had ever heard Carly use.

"You're not going to lose me, and you're not going to lose your boys."

"I know. I know that you will bring them home to me, and we're finally going to have the family that we all deserve."

"Just stay focused on that. Be strong for me, be strong for our family."

"Our family, I love the sound of that," she told him.

"Me, too. When this is all over, I'm going to give you everything you deserve."

"We deserve."

"We deserve," he repeated before hanging up. Now, more than ever, Jason resolved to get those two boys back, and make sure that Sonny could never hurt his family again. Looking out at the black velvet sky one last time, Jason felt a wave of pure hatred course through his veins. Pulling off his trademark black leather jacket, he opened the door and called out to a guard.

"Take this to Carly. Make sure that you're not followed."

"Do you want me to tell her anything?"

"Words aren't necessary, she knows what this means," he said as he handed him the coat. Shutting the door behind the guard, Jason heard his cell go off again.

"Stan, what do you got?"

"I know where the boys are."

"How? Are you sure?"

"A few months ago, Sonny had a tracking device put into Michael's watch. When I started working for you, Sonny had my hard drive wiped out. I managed to retreive the tracking program. I've got a location."

"Where?"

"They're at Brenda Barrett's old cottage."

Jason didn't wait for Stan to finish the sentence before he hung up. He called his men into the room, ordering one of them to call Max to return. Within a few minutes, the group sat around a long table with Jason at the head. After explaining the plan in clear detail, Jason looked around the room.

"Any questions?"

The room remained silent as they waited for Jason to give the go ahead.

"Let's bring my sons home." 


	14. Chapter 14

Bobbie peered out the window as a tall man pounded on the door loudly. She opened the door, recognizing him as one of Jason's guards. "Yes?"

"Mr. Morgan sent this for Carly," he said politely, handing her the blue shopping bag. Without another word, he turned on his heels and disappeared out of sight.

She walked up the stairs and lightly tapped on Carly's bedroom door. "Carly?" she called softly before entering the room. Inside, she found Lucas lying on top of the covers next to his sister, who was asleep. "How is shet?"

"She fell asleep a few minutes ago," he replied. "What's in the bag?"

"I don't know, Jason sent it for Carly."

"Sent what?" Carly spoke up.

"This," Bobbie answered as she placed the bag into her daughter's lap.

Carly pulled back the tissue as she broke out into a huge grin. She carefully lifted the jacket out of the bag and pressed it against her cheek. The soft black leather smelled of Jason. Then, she wrapped it around herself over her pajamas and stuffed her hands in the pocket. She felt a velvet box brush against her knuckles, but didn't let on. Instead, she smiled at her mother and brother. "It's his jacket."

"We see that," Lucas laughed.

"I'm so tired," Carly faked, hoping her family would leave her alone to open the box. She wanted to do it solitude.

"We'll let you get some sleep," Bobbie told her, picking up on the hinting tone in her voice.

As soon as Bobbie and Lucas left, Carly yanked the black box from the coat pocket. Like a child on Christmas morning, she ran her fingers against the soft fabric of the box. As she snapped the box open, she suddenly burst into a soft giggle. Inside was a slip of paper. On it, Jason had written "Soon."

Meanwhile, Jason sat in the backseat of the limo down the road from Brenda's old cottage. There was a nondescript, burly man standing guard outside the door. His yellow eyes darted around the property, and Jason knew that he was looking for him. He was going to do the one thing that Sonny would never expect. He was going to drive up to the gate of the property, press the intercom button and ask to see Sonny. Considering everything that happened between them in the past, Jason knew that Sonny would let him in.

"Go ahead, Raymond," Jason said, pressing the button to speak to the driver. Across from him, Max nodded slightly as he twisted the silencer onto his weapon.

As the limo approached the gate, Jason felt butterflies flutter in his stomach. It had never been hard for him to do his job when it was about work, but this was personal.

"Yes?"

"Tell Mr. Corinthos that Mr. Morgan is here to pick up his children," Jason said smoothly.

A rustle in the background let Sonny's presence be known. "Let him in," he heard Sonny tell the watchman gruffly.

Once the car had driven the course of the winding driveway and was parked in front of the property, Jason looked at Max. "It's go time."

Max quickly placed a call and then turned to Jason, "It's done."

Jason walked toward the door, pretending that the man posted at the door didn't exist. Just as he reached for the doorknob, a shot rang out. Jason turned around and looked at the man standing at the bottom of the stairs. Just as Jason recognized the guard, he fell to the ground. 


	15. Chapter 15

As a shot rang out, Jason fell to the ground. Max stepped out from where he had been hiding, wanting to rush to his boss but knowing that he needed to keep his cover. He watched as a moronic guarded ambled over to where he laid in front of the door and then bent over to check Jason's pulse. Just as he was about to reach for his wrist, Jason threw an uppercut to the man's jaw, sending him backward on his feet. Max watched as his boss swiftly kicked the man a few times until he could no longer move. Then, Jason placed his foot firmly on the man's stomach as he pulled out a small handgun from his back pocket. With a look of steel, Jason unloaded two shots into the man's chest.

"You shouldn't have tried to shoot me," Jason growled as the man slumped forward. One of Jason's men moved in to move the body, careful to keep any blood from the pavement. Jason lifted his black t-shirt to inspect the bulletproof vest that encased his body, noting the bullethold just to the left of his heart. Once they had disappeared, he took a deep breath and walked straight into the cottage without another indication.

Inside, Sonny lounged arrogantly on the couch. A glass of Scotch in one hand and his pistol in the other, Sonny looked at his former best friend with a sneering look of contempt. "Damn, I was hoping those shots were you."

"They were. You should probably get another man on the front door," Jason said evenly. "Where are they?"

"Where are who?"

"Carly's children."

"My children are out with Leticia," Sonny lied. Jason could sense one of Sonny's lies in an instant.

"I'm going to ask you one more time, where are her children?"

"As if I would tell you," Sonny replied as he stood up. Pointing the gun at Jason, he smiled his infamous sly grin. "When you're gone, you don't need to worry. I will take care of Carly."

"The hell you will," Jason grunted as he raised his own gun.

"I taught you everything you know, Jase. Who do you think is a better shot?"

"You may have taught me everything I know, Sonny, but I've outlearned the teacher."

"Let's see, shall we?" Sonny boasted. "On the count of three?"

Jason just nodded as he pressed his index finger against the trigger. "One."

"Two," Sonny said next. Just as Jason was about to say three, Sonny's finger pressed against the trigger. Two shots filled the air as one man fell to the ground. With his finger still on the trigger, Jason watched Sonny fall to the ground as blood poured from his shoulder.

"It's about time, Max," Jason laughed as Sonny writhed in pain on the floor at his feet. "Call the hospital, have someone get here."

"Did you take a shot?" Max asked.

"No, he did. He missed," Jason replied as he turned and pointed to the hole in the wall. "Now, all we have to do is find Leticia."

He pulled his phone from his pocket and was just about to dial his phone as he heard a crash above his head. Dropping the phone and rushing upstairs in a matter of two seconds, Jason checked each room. Letting his gun lead, he kicked in door after door until he came to the room that had to be the boys. He tucked his gun back in his pocket and silently said a prayer. 


	16. Chapter 16

Jason slowly opened the door, hoping that the boys were inside and not wanting to frighten them. The heavy walnut door swung open, revealing an empty room. Toys were scattered across the floor, and he noticed Leticia's handbag stashed on one of the beds. He noticed the balcony doors were wide open as a mild breeze whipped through the room. He rushed out onto the deck to find Leticia crouched in the corner. Beneath a red blanket, the two boys sat behind her.

"Mr. Morgan," she replied in relief. She stood up and pulled the blanket off the two adolescents.

Michael jumped to his feet and rushed toward Jason, throwing his arms around his waist as he started to cry. Morgan, still unsure of what was going on, followed his brother as Jason scooped him up into his arms. "Boy, am I glad to see you," Jason whispered as he kissed Morgan's forehead. He squatted down to look Michael into the eye. "Are you okay?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, he didn't hurt us. He made us leave, I didn't want to. I'm sorry, Jason. I tried to fight."

"It's okay, Michael," he said as he hugged the boy. He looked over at Leticia, "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Morgan," she said. "Just scared for the boys and for myself."

"Let's get out of here," he told the three hostages. Leticia grabbed her bag as the boys picked up a few stray toys they had grabbed when they were taken from their mother's.

"Jason?" Morgan said, looking up at him as they made their way down the stairs. "I heard bang. Where's daddy?"

"Who cares?" Michael grumbled.

Jason's heart broke, knowing that Morgan was far too young to understand. "He had to go away for a little bit, but he will be okay. Then, Mommy can take you to visit him if you want to."

"But-" Michael started to protest.

"Michael," Jason replied warningly. The events had already been hard enough on Morgan, and he didn't want to upset him further. Even though Michael was still quite young, Jason knew that he had at least some idea of what happened. "He doesn't understand; we have to keep things as easy as possible for him. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes," he said as he climbed into the backseat of the limo. "Hey, Max. What are you doing here? Where have you been?"

"I'm working for Jason now," he told the boy as he messed with the boy's hair.

"So, you're on our side?"

"Yeah, he's on our side," Jason said. "Who wants you call your mom?"

"Can we surprise her?" Michael begged.

"Yeah, let's surprise her," Morgan echoed.

Leticia watched as the three boys happily settled into the car for the short ride to the safehouse. While the past few days had been scary for her personally, she had mostly worried about the boys. But now, with Mr. Morgan and Max there, she could finally let herself relax as the tension and worry drained from her body. They were going home.

Meanwhile, across town, a dark van pulled up to a back entrance to General Hospital. One guard dragged Sonny's body from the back door, propping him against the stairwell to the employee entrance.

"Why can't we just kill him?" the driver said as he scanned the parking lot for witnesses.

The other guard shook his head. "Boss said to leave him here. His orders."

Without looking back, the van pulled out of the parking lot, leaving Sonny alone to bleed to death. As the van turned left onto the road, a tall brunette pulled her silver sportscar into a vacant parking spot. Already ten minutes late, she cursed as she pulled on her white coat and rushed toward the back door. Just before she reached the door, she spotted a dark man hunched over, blood pouring from his shoulder.

"Sonny!" Emily called worriedly as she rushed next to him. On instinct, she pulled out her phone to call Jason. They had been out of touch for the past few weeks, but she was certain that he would want to know.

"Emily," Sonny replied hazily.

"It's me, Sonny. What happened?"

"I need you to call..."

"I'm calling Jason now."

"No, not Jason!" he exclaimed. "Call Mac Scorpio."

"Mac? Are you sure? What should I tell him?"

"I want Jason Morgan arrested for attempted murder and kidnapping." 


	17. Chapter 17

Emily looked at Sonny in surprise. "You want what?"

"You heard me, I want your brother arrested," Sonny demanded.

She shook her head in disbelief. "That's crazy, even for you, Sonny. I'm not going to call them. You can if you want to, but I won't have any part in it. If Jason shot you, he had to have a reason."

Sonny studied the brunette girl crouched before him. Then, after a visible wince in pain, she gathered the man up into her arms and helped him to his feet. He rested against the wall as Emily wordlessly rolled the wheelchair out. Her plan was to get him into the chair and leave him the emergency room. Jason had filled her in on what had been going on, and as a doctor in training, she had to make certain he got treatment. She just didn't have to be the one giving it.

As she rolled Sonny into the corridor, she noticed the policeman posted outside of a hospital room. Emily knew that their had been a fight at the PCPD, and the inmate had been brought to GH for treatment. Silently, she prayed that he hadn't seen the cop. In the next breath, however, Sonny called for the man to come to him.

"I want Jason Morgan arrested. He shot me, and he took my kids," Sonny demanded once again.

The policeman looked at the blood gushing from Sonny's arm with a slight smile. While he deserved to be shot, the policeman also took private joy in the fact that he would be the one to arrest Jason Morgan and hopefully put him away for quite some time. "Corinthos, what happened?"

Sonny explained to the guard as Emily listened in angry silence. She wanted to appear as unbiased as possible, but the hate was far too evident in her eyes.

"Well, it sounds like we have enough. Why don't you go get treated and I will have someone come down and take your formal statement. Meanwhile, I'll work on a warrant," the cop said as he pulled out his radio and Emily pushed Sonny the rest of the way down the hall.

Across town, the sleek black limo pulled up the long driveway and in front of the safehouse. The boys rushed out of the car as fast as possible, pausing only for a moment to make sure that Jason and Leticia were behind them. Jason knocked lightly at the door before entering in front of the boys. In the living room, Lucas was watching an old movie while Bobbie flipped through a magazine.

"Grandma!" Michael said softly as he rushed toward the redhead. Morgan followed his brother as they both threw their arms around her and squeezed as hard as they could.

"Unca Lucas," Morgan giggled as he climbed past Bobbie and hugged his uncle.

Michael hugged his uncle before looking back at Bobbie. "Where's my mom?"

"Your mama is upstairs asleep. Why don't you go wake her up?" Bobbie said.

Jason interrupted. "Why don't you let me wake her up and then I'll come get you?"

"Okay," the boys replied as they watched Jason scramble upstairs as quickly as his legs could carry him.

He didn't even bother to knock on the door as he hurried into her bedroom. There, propped up on two pillows, Carly slept like an angel. He leaned over and placed a long, sweet kiss on her lips. Her eyes fluttered open and then closed again. "Hey, Jase," she mumbled. Then, her eyes flew open in sudden realization. "Jason!"

He laughed as he flopped onto the bed beside her. Tangling his fingers in her long hair, he pulled her face close to his and kissed her deeply. For a moment, for the first time in weeks, they were the only two in the entire world. "Hi," he whispered finally.

"What happened?" she asked worriedly once she realized that he was there but the boys weren't.

"I'll give you the details later," he said as he kissed her again quickly. "But first...," he replied again as he headed out of the room,"

Carly then heard him yell down the stairs, "Boys!" His call was followed by the pounding of footsteps.

"Mommy!" the two boys yelled as they pounced on their mother. Carly grabbed them tightly and held them as close to her as she could. Morgan kissed his mom on the cheek while Michael just hugged her fiercely.

"I have missed you so much. Are you okay?" she asked.

"We missed you, too," Morgan said.

"We're fine, Mom. Just glad to see you," Michael then replied.

"I'm glad to see you, too."

"Jason, come sit with us," Morgan said.

Michael looked at the man watching from the doorway and said, "Yeah, the family is back together."

"The family is back together," Jason replied as he looked into Carly's eyes, urging her to accept this statement as truth.

With tears falling down her face and her arms around the two boys, Carly reached for Jason's hand as he sat down next to Morgan. She mouthed to him the only two words that seemed appropriate for the moment. "Thank you." 


	18. Chapter 18

Jason brushed a lock of Morgan's dark hair from his eyes as he carried the small boy up the stairs. After leaving the safehouse, the two boys had fallen asleep in the limo as they made their way back to the penthouse. Carly followed behind him, leading Michael into the dark bedroom. As soon as the two boys were tucked securely into their bedroom, Jason and Carly made their way back downstairs.

"I'm so glad to be home," Carly murmered as she flopped onto the couch, pulling Jason down next to her.

"Me too," he said to her as he laid a soft kiss on her earlobe and laid his arm across her shoulders.

"So, I'm afriad to ask but what happened?"

"Do you really need to know the details?"

"No. I just have one question for you," she answered.

"What's that?"

"Is he still alive?"

Jason turned to Carly and peered into her eyes. His blue burning her brown, he tried to reassure her with a look. "No, I couldn't do that to the boys."

She nodded in silence as she turned to lean against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace from behind. Jason watched as her eyes fluttered shut. Willing himself to finally relax, he closed his own eyes. For the first time in weeks, he enjoyed the silence and comfort of having his family at home. The peace was suddenly interrupted with a harsh knock at the front door.

"Who could that be?" Carly sighed.

Jason shrugged as he headed for the door. As he reached for the door knob, Michael called for his mother from the top of the stairs. Carly kissed Jason on the cheek as she headed up the stairs and he opened the door. Outside, two uniformed officers stared back at him.

"Jason Morgan, you are under arrest," said the taller of the two policemen just as Carly came back down the stairs with Michael in toe. They were talking about what the boys wanted for a snack and planning a trip to the park the next afternoon.

"What's going on?" Carly questioned as she pushed Michael behind her.

"Carly, stay quiet," Jason ordered her. "Michael, go upstairs and keep Morgan busy until your mom gets up there."

"No, you can't take Jason!" Michael exclaimed, disobeying Jason as he threw his arms around the man's legs.

The shorter policeman carefully unwrapped his arms from Jason and kneeled to Michael's eye level. "Do what your father says."

Michael looked up at Jason questioningly before looking over his shoulder at Carly. "Now, Michael," Carly insisted.

Once he had disappeared back up the stairs, Carly demanded an explanation. She listened impatiently, furiously as he was read his rights. Attempted murder and kidnapping. The charges were ludacrious, but she knew that the PCPD had been chomping at the bit to put Jason away for years.

"Let's go," one officer told the other as soon as Jason was handcuffed.

Carly stepped in front of the door. "Can I just have a minute, please?" she begged. Pleading wasn't usually her style, but she knew that Jason wanted her to remain as calm as possible. She needed to be strong for him.

The men exchanged a look before one relented, "One minute."

She cradled Jason's strong face in her hands, "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to stay out of it, but since that will never happen, I need you to call Justus for me," he replied.

"I can do that. Anything else?"

"Have Max come stay with the boys and Leticia. I know that you are going to follow me, so take Damon with you. I need you to stay as quiet as possible. Let Justus do his job."

"Okay, I'll try, but no promises," she said, plastering the biggest smile she could manage on her face. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he told her as he kissed her briefly.

With a few more words, the policemen escorted Jason out of the apartment, down the elevator and into the waiting squad car. Once she had asked Justus to meet them at the PCPD, she went up to talk to the boys.

"Hey, Mr. Man," Carly said as she ruffled Michael's hair. He was sitting on his bed, just looking out at the water. He reminded her of Sonny in that moment, the dark look of anger as he stared at the ocean below.

"When will Jason be home?"

"As soon as we can get him here."

"I hate Dad."

"You don't mean that. You're just angry," Carly tried to reason. Although she felt something fairly close to hate in her heart, she didn't want her children to hate Sonny. They didn't understand that he was severely ill.

"I don't know," Michael said as he looked up at his mother for the first time since she had sat down next to him.

"I gotta go make sure Jason is okay. Can you stay here with Leticia and help her keep Morgan busy? I don't want him to worry."

"Sure, Mom."

Carly kissed him on the forehead and repeated the action on a sleeping Morgan. After explaining to Leticia and letting Max in, she headed down to the car and to the police department. 


	19. Chapter 19

Jason rolled his eyes as the detective paced across the holding room. He looked past the burly man. In the window that overlooked the main room of the PCPD, he saw Justus saunter in. His lawyer talked to Mac briefly and then turned to acknowledge someone else. Carly stood next to Justus as Mac told them something. He could see the angry fire in her eyes as she bit her bottom lip, trying to keep quiet.

"Mr. Morgan, answer the question."

"Not without my lawyer present."

Just then, Justus walked into the room. "Nice to see you again, Detective Granger. Glad to see that you are bothering my client again when the real criminals are out there."

"Mr. Ward, I suggest you convince your client to confess so that we can work out a deal," the detective stated as he left the room.

Justus turned to make sure that the door was closed. "What happened, Jase?"

"Sonny took the kids. I took them back."

"So you kidnapped them?"

"Only after he kidnapped them from Carly's house."

"You can't kidnap your own kids unless the law keeps you from seeing them. They have joint custody. You're not their parent, so you actually kidnapped them."

"I didn't kidnap his kids, I took my kids home," Jason replied. "He sick, Justus."

Justus nodded, knowing exactly what the words meant. "I can work with that. Now, the attempted murder charge."

Jason remained silent. "C'mon, Jason, you have got to tell me what happened."

"I don't care what you have to do, just do it. Call in a favor to the judge, I have to get out of here. I want to go home to my family," he demanded. Then, softly, he asked how Carly was.

"She's holding up, trying her best to do what you told her to do," Justus told him. "Want to see her?"

Jason nodded silently as Justus opened the door and called to Carly. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Hey," he said as she sat down across the table from him.

She stared at his hands, which were chained to the table. Carly entwined her fingers in his. "Hey. How are you doing?"

"I'm okay. How are the boys? You okay?"

"I'm doing what you told me. Michael is scared, he wants you to come home. Morgan doesn't know what's going on. Leticia and Michael are going to try to keep him as busy as possible so that he doesn't notice that we're not there."

"Maybe you should go be with them."

"I'm not leaving here without you," she said fiercely.

"Carly, time to go," Mac said as he came into the room for the firs time since Jason had been booked.

Jason squeezed her hand and said, "Go."

Outside, in the corridor, Carly leaned against the wall while Justus finished a phone call. "Well?" she asked, looking at the lawyer.

"He'll be out in 20 minutes. I just called in a favor to Judge Hill."

"Great," she said in relief. "Charges?"

"I'm thinking that I should be able to get them dropped. Since Sonny took the boys and has a history of mental illness, I should be able to convince a judge that Jason was just picking them up on your behalf. His action was in self-defense."

Mac came over to Carly, interrupting the conversation. "Carly, I need to talk to you."

She nodded at Justus and then followed Mac into the room where they had been keeping Jason before he was taken to have his mug shot taken.

"Justus tells me that Sonny took the kids first, and that he is ill," Mac explained. "Would you be willing to testify?" 


	20. Chapter 20

"On two conditions," Carly replied.

"Not that you really have the power to bargain, but why don't you name them just for the hell of it."

"One, you let Jason go."

"Well, if everything checks out, that shouldn't be a problem. We won't be able to hold him. What's the other?"

"No charges against Sonny."

"Carly, he took your children."

"He's sick, he needs help," she told the police commissioner. She had kept Sonny's secret for so long, and even now, she felt like she was betraying. But, in the end, she had to do what was best for her children. Getting help for Sonny was the best thing for the boys and for Sonny.

"We can make sure he gets that," Mac said.

"No, I can make sure he gets that," she told him hotly. "You will just lock him up, and that won't do him or my boys a bit of good."

Just as Carly said those words, she watched as Jason was uncuffed. Leaving a still-talking Mac in her wake, she raced out of the room to where Jason was waiting. He caught her just as she threw herself in his arms, kissing him all over his face as relief swept through her.

"I'm free. Justus got the judge to not only release me but also drop the charges."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"Am I...?"

"No, you're not allowed to ask how," he laughed as they walked past the detective and the arresting officers.

"Let's get outta here," she said. After thanking Justus outside the building, Jason walked over to the car. Parked beside the car was his motorcycle. A guard stood watch over the two vehicles with a dark bag at his feet.

"You're leaving?" she asked worriedly.

"No, of course not. I'll never leave you again, Carly," he said, turning to her. I just had Damon bring the bike up here. Thought maybe we could take a ride before we head back to the penthouse. I can't wait to see the boys, but there is something I need to take care of first."

Leaning down, Jason unzipped the bag. Pulling out two helmets and a coat, he handed the bag to the guard. Damon quietly disappeared into the limo and drove off. Turning back to her, he wrapped the coat around her. Once they were both geared up and the helmets were on, Jason and Carly literally headed off into the sunset, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

For nearly a half-hour, they drove until they reached the destination. It was a cliff where he used to bring her back in the days before Michael. As he kicked the stand down, he helped Carly off the motorcycle.

"It's our spot," she said in awe. A million stars lit up the velvet sky above them. The beauty of it all suddenly caught up with Carly as she kissed Jason deeply.

"I've come up here with you so many times in the past, and probably even more without you. When you were with Sonny, I would come up here and just remember. Sam found me here one time after you and I had an arguement, and I remember that she tried to kiss me. I was so angry at her in that moment, but I was mostly angry at myself. I felt like I was betraying you," he said.

"Whenever everything was messed up in my life, I could come up here and just sit. Being here seemed to make everything okay. When you left town, I could come up here and be with you. Even though I knew you were always with me, I really felt it here," Carly remembered.

"Through all the good times and the bad times, this remained. Through the good and the bad, we remained," Jason told her.

"whatever we had, I knew that we would always have it. Forever," she replied.

"Forever, I like the sound of that," he said as he patted a small box inside his coat pocket.

"Well, what do you wanna do now?" Carly asked.

"Let's go home." 


	21. Chapter 21

Jason paced across the floor of the living room, tracing his footsteps from the door to the fireplace. Finally, he stopped to inspect the row of frames that lined the mantle. There was a simple snapshot of his sister on the day she gradated from medical school and another of him with his grandmother. On days like this, when he had so much on his mind, he missed Lila the most. Next was a photograph of the boys at the park, Morgan and Michael sitting together on a bench near the gazebo. There was another photograph of himself with Carly, the one she had had taken the night her club opened. Finally, on the end, was his favorite.

This photograph was of his family. It was the night that they all came home for good nearly three weeks ago, when everything had fallen into place. It wasn't just a photograph of himself with the boys and Carly. Max and Leticia were there, too. Just as he had become part of Sonny's family once upon a time, Max was becoming his family, not only his most trusted confidant but also his best friend next to Carly. Leticia was a second mother to the boys. Max had asked her out two days after they had come home, and personally, Jason couldn't be more thrilled. Although the relationship was not public quite yet, he had a feeling that it would last.

As he started his route back across the room once again, the door swung open and in poured the boys. Leticia and Carly walked in behind them, discussing something animatedly. Jason smiled at the sight of it all.

"What's got you smiling?" Carly asked Jason as she paused long enough to kiss him on the cheek.

"What's got you talking?" Jason laughed.

"Just talking about what dress Leticia should wear when she goes out with Max tonight," Carly replied as she handed a blue shopping bag to Leticia. "We got the boys."

"That's fine," Jason said, nodding slightly at Leticia. She returned his smile and then guided the boys upstairs to change.

Jason walked over to where Carly had flounced on the couch, shopping bags littering the floor near her feet. "Buy much?"

"Just a few things for the boys, and something for you."

"Not another shirt, Carly."

"No, not another shirt, Jason," she mimicked. Picking up a pink and white bag, she pulled a filmy black negligee from the bag and held it up in front of him. "This."

"Mmm," he said softly as he leaned over to kiss her.

"Ewww," Michael groaned, breaking the moment.

"Ewww," Carly and Jason repeated in unison as they got to their feet.

"I think I'm going to go make dinner," Carly said.

"You're making dinner?" Michael asked skeptically.

"Fine, I'm going to order to dinner."

"Where from?" Morgan questioned innocently.

"What do you all want?"

"Jason's favorite!" Michael exclaimed, happy that he happened to share a favorite food with the man.

"Burgers and fries from Kelly's? Again?" she sighed.

"Yeah!" the boys cheered as Jason smiled at her over their heads.

Carly grabbed her keys as Leticia walked down the stairs. "You look stunning. I'll walk you out." Throwing a look over her shoulder at her boys, all her boys, "I'll be back in a few minutes. Love you."

As soon as the door was shut and Jason was sure they were in the elevator, he asked the boys to sit on the couch. He had had this night planned for awhile. Yesterday, he had asked Max and Leticia to go out so that he could have the night alone with his family. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but only one was clear. It had been clear for as long as he could remember, but only now did he feel comfortable enough to voice it aloud. Besides himself, only one other person knew what he was about to do.


	22. Chapter 22

Thinking back, Jason couldn't believe that he had confided in Sonny. When they had taken him to the island, Jason only felt hate for the man. As the road the airplane over the ocean, Jason listened as Sonny feigned regret. Finally, he had decided that it was just better this way. Until he was fully recovered, there was no way he could be around the boys. Carly had accompanied them on the trip, but she kept herself at a distance for much of the time. Only when she said goodbye did she request time alone, and even then, it was very brief. Jason took a few minutes to tell Sonny everything he needed to know, including the fact that Jason would make sure that Mike and the rest of Sonny's family was watched over. Then, just before he left, he turned on his heels. His former best friend and business partner looked so pitiful as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"Sonny, we're doing this for the boys. You need help," Jason said evenly.

Sonny sighed and replied, "I know."

"I want you to know something else."

"What else is there to say?"

"I'm going to ask Carly to marry me. I don't need your permission or even your blessing, I'm just laying my cards out there so you know what's going on."

"You got what you wanted," Sonny mumbled, looking at his feet.

Jason felt sorry for him for the first time in his life. "What do you mean?"

"You got your family back."

Jason just looked at him and nodded. "Yeah, I did."

With that, they had returned to Port Charles and to the boys. Gone less than 24 hours, it was almost as if nothing had ever happened. They had been careful to explain things to the boys, especially Morgan. Michael had been as strong as a boy could be, faking a smile for his mother and comforting his younger brother. As he looked at the two boys sitting before him on the couch, Jason knew that he would always do whatever he could to make life as easy and happy as possible for the two boys, his sons.

"Boys, I need to ask you something."

Morgan and Michael both looked at Jason seriously, wondering what was going on. Finally, Michael spoke up. "What?"

"Well, you know that I love your mom, and she loves me." The boys both nodded. ⌠And you know that I love you too." The boys nodded again, looking at Jason as if he was crazy. "Well, what would you think if we became a family?"

"We're already a family, Jason," Morgan giggled.

"Yes, we are, but what if we made it official? I'd like to ask your mom to marry me, but I wanted to make sure it was okay with you first. As much as your mom loves me, she loves you two even more. You two are her life."

"It's okay with me, can I play now?" Morgan asked.

Jason laughed. "Wait a second, buddy. Michael, what do you think?"

Michael looked at Jason carefully. "You loved me before anyone else loved me, Jason. Before Dad was my dad and when Mama was sick, you were there to take care of me. I don't remember it, but Mama has always told me about it."

Jason tried to fight back the tears as a solitary droplet escaped down his cheek.

"I know that you won't replace Dad. He'll always be my dad no matter how sick he is," Michael said. "Mama told me all about him and what is going on, so now I understand. Anyways, she doesn't love him like that, like she loves you. So, it's okay with me. You're our family."

Jason embraced the two boys, still in shock from the depth of Michael's words. Always too smart for his age, Michael had just made an already great evening absolutely perfect. After Morgan escaped to find his new race car and Michael went to set the table, Carly came bursting in with bags of food. She yelled for Morgan to come back down as she helped Michael lay the food out on the table.

Jason pulled two juice boxes and two beers from the fridge and set them on the table in the proper spots. Morgan crawled into the chair and started to chew away on stray French fries as they fell out of the carton. Michael unwrapped his hamburger and waited patiently until everyone was sitting down. Just as Carly sat down at her spot opposite him, Jason stood back up. Tapping his fork against the beer bottle, he looked at each of the boys and then at Carly.

"I have something I want to say before we start."


	23. Chapter 23

"What, Jase? I'm starved," Carly complained as she sat down her hamburger.

Jason looked at her and smiled, knowing that she would feel foolish for being so impatient in a matter of minutes. "Well, if you would rather eat..."

"No, you've peaked my attention, now tell me," she insisted brightly.

"Well, the boys and I have something we want to ask you," Jason said as he walked to the other end of the table and stood before her. Michael and Morgan made their way beside him, Morgan on the left and Michael on the right. Looking at each of them out of the corner of his eye, he nodded. Then, each of them dropped to their knee and looked up at Carly.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.

Morgan giggled and recited the lines Jason had helped him memorize. "A long time ago, 'fore I was borned, there was a family. Mommy and Jason and Michael all lived together. They was real happy, but they always felt like something was missing."

"And then, Mama married Dad. We all became a family, just a different kind of one. We were happy most of the time and sad sometimes," Michael said next. "Then, one day, Mama told me that I was going to have a baby brother."

"That's me," Morgan chimed in proudly.

"Morgan was born, and the family became something else. Still, Mama and Jason and Dad all loved us like parents, and we were lucky because we had three," Michael stated. "No matter what happened, we always had three. And Mama always had two guys that loved us and loved her."

"And then, one love became something else. What was once a romance became simply a bond between parents, a promise between a mother and a father to always put their children's needs first," Jason replied. "And as that love faded away, another came to be known. Ever present but often overlooked, their love was what had kept the family together all along."

Carly was completely choked up at that point, half covering her face as she listened to her boys.

"Through good times and bad times, their love made a group of people a family," Morgan repeated as Michael whispered the words in his ears.

"And when that love became evident, the family rejoiced in the numerous blessings they had incurred. While they had gone through their difficult times, they had done so together. In the end, love had prevailed," Jason said.

"As it was in the beginning, there was a mother, a father and two sons," Michael said.

"There was a Carly and a Jason and a Michael and a Me," Morgan stated.

"And that is the way it should always be," the boys said in unison.

"The man knew those words to be true, and so he asked the mother a simple question with the blessings of both of her sons," Jason explained, as both of the boys nodded on cue. Each of them reached into their pockets and pulled out a velvet box and held it out in front of them for Carly's view.

"Mommy, will you marry Jason?" Morgan asked.

⌠Mama, will you marry Jason?" Michael inquired.

"Carly, will you marry me?" Jason questioned.

One at a time, the boys snapped open their box. In Morgan's box, their was a charm bracelet. Different from the one that she had been given before she got sick, this one reflected her new family. It consisted of only six charms. There was a nurse's hat for Bobbie, a soccer ball for Lucas, a motorcycle for Jason, a shoe for Carly, a baseball for Michael and a truck for Morgan. In Michael's box was a platinum locket in the shape of a heart. Inside, a picture of their family had been tucked on one side with JCMM engraved on the other side. And inside Jason's box, there was something that took her breath away. While he had considered buying a new ring for a new beginning, he went with the original one. What had made them in the beginning was what would keep them together in the end.

Her lip quivering and her hands trembling, Carly looked at each of them and whispered, "Yes."


	24. Chapter 24

A few nights later, Jason and Carly laid curled on the couch. A fire in the fireplace cast shadows, which danced gingerly across the ceiling. Upstairs, their sons slept peacefully, worn out from a long day at the park as a family. Leticia was out with Max for the night, and for the first time since she said yes, they were fully alone.

News of their engagement had quickly swept Port Charles. Emily had called Jason immediately to offer her congratulations. While Carly had never gotten along with Jason's sister, she had vowed then and there that she would do whatever she had to do to make it work. Carly had called her mother as soon as the boys were in bed that very night, whispering like a school girl in the hallway outside the room she now shared with Jason. Lucas had extended his well wishes as well, after playfully giving Jason a lecture on taking care of his sister. Things had finally fallen in place for them, and as she looked up at Jason, Carly knew that she couldn't be happier.

"What's on your mind?" Jason asked as he ran his hands through her long hair.

She smiled softly and shook her head. "Nothing really, just thinking about things."

"We've come far, haven't we?"

"It's like everything finally makes sense," she said. "So, I know you're not really into the details, but I do have a wedding to plan. Any suggestions?"

"Just something small, if you don't mind. This should be about us, our family," he replied.

"I was thinking, maybe we could just keep it to immediate family only. A night wedding by candlelight at the church. Would you wear a suit?"

"For you, this one time, I think I can manage," he said, laughing. "I'd like to go to this villa in Italy for the honeymoon. I was there when I left you that first time. I'd go out and sit on the veranda and watch the sunset. I vowed that I would bring you there if I ever had the chance."

"Mmm, Italy," she sighed dreamily. "What about the boys? I don't want to leave them for long."

"We could take Max and Leticia, they could use a little vacation. Your mom and Lucas would probably be happy to tag along and help out."

"A family affair? Are you sure you're okay with that?"

"Carly, we will still have our honeymoon. I don't want to leave the boys either. I can't imagine either of us being away for them that long. As long as they are with us and I can still have some time alone with you, I don't care where we go or who goes with us or what we do," Jason stated. "One last question, and then my input on this matter is over. Who do you want to invite to the wedding?"

"My mom and Lucas, of course. Leticia and Max. Emily and Monica. What about Alan?" Jason nodded, knowing how much it would mean to his mother if he was invited too. "And I'd like to invite Mike. I know he's Sonny's father, but I think it would mean a great deal to the boys if he was there."

"That's it?" Jason asked, relieved that she didn't have a huge formal affair in mind.

"The only people I really need there are you and the boys. Anyone else, that's just icing on the cake," she told him. "When should we do this?" Carly asked.

"Next week?"

"The sooner the better, really. I don't need a long time to plan this wedding. I've waited entirely too long as it is," she murmered as she turned to face him. Carly laid a slow, deep kiss on him, entwining her arms around his neck to pull herself as close to him as possible.

"Don't start anything you can't finish," Jason whispered between kisses.

"Oh, Mr. Morgan, don't you know by now? I'm a very strong finisher."

With that, Jason swept Carly up into his arms and headed up the stairs. They both figured that they could use a little practice for the honeymoon.


	25. Chapter 25

As the days flew by, Carly became more and more nervous about her upcoming nuptials. While she had no reservations about becoming Jason's wife, she felt like everything was progressing too easily. Together, they had visited Sonny to tell them about the wedding. Although they had not received his blessing, he had been civil toward them. Carly was certain that he wouldn't do anything to interfere, but in the course of their relationship, nothing had ever gone so smoothly for Carly and Jason.

Looking over the list before her at Kelly's, Carly marked off each item that she had already completed. She had had her final dress fitting that afternoon, and the gown was impeccable. Jason and the boys had been fitted for their suits. Carly had not challenged Jason's refusal tuxedo, electing instead to go with a classic black suit for he and the boys. They had chosen to have only the boys stand up with them in order to keep with the simple wedding theme.

That morning, Carly had stopped by the church to make sure that the flowers had been delivered and set up as ordered. The cake was due to arrive the next morning, and the travel agent had dropped off the tickets the day before. She had made sure that everyone was packed so that they could head to the airport straight from the church.

Everyone had been invited, and all of the guests were coming. On a last minute whim, Carly had called Lucky to invite he, Elizabeth and Cameron. While she had never really gotten along with Liz and she wasn't close to Lucky, she felt it was important to include what little family she had in the ceremony. Lulu was coming as well, and Mike had agreed to come to support the boys.

As she inspected the list one final time, Carly realized that there was only one item left on the paper. Rolling her eyes and taking a deep breath, she folded the paper and tucked it into her handbag next to the box that contained their wedding bands. Quickly, she placed a call on her cell phone and then left the quaint restaurant. After a short limo ride across town, Carly stepped onto the lawn of the plush estate that sprawled before her. Nervously, Carly made her way up the path and rang the door bell.

"Hello, Ms. Corinthos," Big Alice greeted politely as she opened the heavy mahogany door of the Quatermaine mansion.

"Hi, Alice. I'm here to see my uncle," Carly replied.

"Yes, right this way. Mr. Luke is resting in the next room, but he said to wake him when he arrived," the maid said as she ushered Carly into the sitting room.

Inside the sitting room, Alice shook Luke awake. Drowsily, he sat up on the couch. "What's up, Caroline?"

"Luke, I need a favor," she said quietly as Alice exited the room.

"You need a favor? I didn't even get invited to your wedding and you want a favor," he joked. "How can I help you, darlin'?"

"That's why I'm here, actually. Look, I know we've never been close, and you don't actually like me," she told him. "But, I don't have a father, and well, you're about the closest thing this family has to a patriarch. I was wondering if you would...walk me down the aisle."

Luke looked at her in shock. "You want me to walk you down the aisle?"

"Well, yeah. It was Mama's idea, and since I needed someone to escort me anyhow, I thought I could ask you. You don't have to."

"Caroline, I'd be honored to do it," he said brightly. "You're right, we don't always get along, but you're a Spencer. We Spencers always show up when it's important."

"Thanks, Uncle Luke," she said. Wanting to hug him but not quite comfortable with the sentiment, she reached for his hand and shook it firmly. Luke yanked her hand and pulled her into a bear hug.

As soon as she was tucked safely into the limo once again, Carly pulled out the list and drew a bold line through the final item. "Perfect," she whispered to herself.


	26. Chapter 26

Jason paced back and forth across the room, checking the clock to see that he still had a half-hour until he could leave the single life behind. Emily and his parents had been in earlier to wish him luck. While he was aware that they did not exactly care for Carly, they had not said one word against her since finding out about the engagement. Although they were far from being close, he was glad that they were there. Memory or not, they were still his family.

Max called to Jason from the hall, announcing that the boys were there. He opened the door to let them in, throwing a thankful smile to Max as he shut the door behind them.

"Hey guys," Jason said as they came in. In his suit, Morgan looked like a miniature version of Sonny. Michael looked so grown-up standing next to them. As he looked at them, Jason could hardly believe how old they were.

"Hi, Jason," Morgan said as he hugged him. Michael followed Morgan with a similar greeting and hug.

"Look, I wanted to talk to you for a second, just us guys," Jason said. "I just want to make sure that you know how much I love you, and how much I love your mom."

"We know," they replied in unison.

"Are you really, truly okay with us getting married? You two are the most important people in her life and mine."

Morgan laughed at Jason. "We already gaved you our permission, silly. 'Course it's okay."

"We love you, too," Michael said as Bobbie knocked on the door.

"Carly wants to see the boys," she told Jason as she escorted them out of the room.

With a deep breath, Jason pinched the bridge of his nose and looked himself over in the mirror for a final time. Not an ounce of nervousness pulsed through his body, only relief that he was about to have his greatest dream realized. Everything perfect, he headed down the aisle to the front of the church to await his destiny.

Meanwhile, Carly raced around the dressing room to make certain that everything was perfect. Twenty minutes to go, she thought to herself as she adjusted the strap of her simple white gown. Across the room, Bobbie was fixing her hair. Carly turned and smiled to her mother in the mirror. Bobbie returned the smile as she sprayed the final tendril in place and walked to where Carly was now sitting.

"Nervous, honey?" Bobbie asked as she patted Carly's hair lovingly.

"No, actually, I've never been so sure of anything in my life," she replied.

Bobbie smiled widely at her daughter, amazed at how close they had grown. "I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I love you, Carly. All you have to do is call your brother or I, we'll always be there."

"Thanks, Mama," Carly told her as she embraced her mother warmly. "Can you go get the boys, I'd like to spend a few minutes alone with them."

Bobbie only nodded as she left the room. A minute later, she returned to the private dressing room to deliver Carly's sons.

"There are my boys!" Carly exclaimed as they came over to hug her. She smiled as she inspected her two angelic sons. Each was dressed in simple black suits that matched Jason's. Carefully, she straightened Michael's tie and tied Morgan's shoe lace. "I want to talk to you before we go out there."

"What do you want to talk about, Mommy?" Morgan asked innocently.

"Here, let's sit down," Carly said to the boys as she sat down on the couch. After the boys had climbed next to her, she said the only thing she needed to say that day to the only two people that needed to hear it. "I love you both more than anything in the world, even more than Jason. And if you're not okay with me marrying him, I won't. I just need to know that you love Jason and that you're happy that he is going to be part of our family forever."

"Mom, Jason is going to be a part of our family whether you get married or not," Michael giggled. "He's like my dad, only not."

"Morgan?"

"I love Jason, Mommy," Morgan said, distracted by his loose shoelace. Carly absently reached over and retied the shoelace. Then, she kissed each of them on the forehead and silently thanked God for giving her the two amazing boys that were her son. A knock at the door broke the final moment that the three of them would ever have as a family without Jason.

"Ready, Caroline?" Luke asked as he entered the dressing room.

Bobbie filed in behind Luke. "Ready, boys?"

"Yeah," they answered in unison as they left the room with Bobbie, leaving Luke alone with his niece.

"Well, let's do this," she said as she adjusted her veil for a final time in the mirror. Luke escorted Carly out of the dressing room and to the back of the candlelit church. Hidden behind the door, she could see Jason waiting for her at the end of the aisle. As the violinist began to play the prelude, the boys walked down the aisle beside each other. She could see Michael whispering at Morgan to slow down as they struggled to keep their step in unison.

Once they were nearly to Jason, her mother started down the aisle. Carly and Luke watched in pride as Bobbie walked slowly in her lavender chiffon gown. As she reached the front of the church, she stepped into her position. Then, the strong opening beats of the wedding march rang out as the few guests rose to their feet. Weaving her arm through Luke's, she looked at her uncle and whispered, "They're playing my song."


	27. Chapter 27

As Carly and Luke reached the end of the aisle, he raised her veil and kissed her on the cheek before sitting at the front pew next to Lucas and Lulu. On the other side of Lulu, Lucky reached for his wife's hand as she bounced Cameron on her knee.

"We are gathered here today to take part in the most time-honored celebration of the human family, uniting a man and a woman in marriage. Jason and Carly have come to witness before us, telling of their love for each other. We remind them that they are performing an act of complete faith each in the other; that the heart of their marriage will be the relationship they create. In a world where faith often falls short of expectation, it is a tribute to these two who now join hands and hearts in perfect faith," recited Father Coates as Jason took Carly's hands in his own.

Father Coates continued, "Michael and Morgan, you will share in this family, for your lives will be touched by the promises made by Carly and Jason today. Your participation will bee needed to develop the bonds of this new family. We ask that you help to create a home and a way of life in which all of you may grow into the best people you can be. In this spirit, will you pledge to continue to grow together andhonor this new family for all the days that follow?"

"We will," Michael and Morgan replied in unison.

"Carly and Jason, as you give yourself to one another in love, will you also promise to always keep room in your new life for Michael and Morgan? Will you commit yourselves to respect and honor them as individuals and members of this family? Will you pledge to cherish, encourage and love them all the days of your life?"

"We will," Jason and Carly answered, tears spilling down both their cheeks.

"As a symbol of the two families joined as one today, a special gift will now be presented to each of you, Michael and Morgan. As you receive your token of family unity, always remember the love that has brought all of you together and that will guide and nurture you in the years ahead," Father Coates told the boys.

Carly and Jason each kneeled as Bobbie handed them two boxes. Jason handed his to Michael while Carly gave hers to Morgan. Each of the boys opened the box to reveal rosaries.

Now, Carly and Jason will share their vows to each other.

"Jase, you've always been there to catch me when I fall, and we both know, I've fallen a lot. A million things have been thrown at us, and still, in the end, we have always managed to find our way back to each other. And along the way, you have loved me and you have loved my sons. I promise to remain your biggest fan, your best friend and the love of your life now and always," Carly told Jason, tears now streaming down her face.

"Carly, you are the first thing I ever remember really feeling connected to, and that connection has never waned a moment since. From the first dance at Jake's to this moment, I have loved you like no other. I promise to be the best father I can be to Michael and Morgan, loving them as if they were my own. I will forever be there to catch you if you fall, knowing that you will lift me when I am down. You are my best friend and the love of my life, and if you will let me, I will spend every single second of the rest of our lives loving this family," Jason replied.

"And now the rings," Father Coates said, taking them from Bobbie and Max and placing them on the Bible.

"Jason, wear this ring forever, as a symbol of my love and all that is unending," Carly said as she slid the platinum band on Jason's left hand.

"Carly, wear this ring forever as a symbol of my love and of all that is unending," Jason said, placing the platinum band on Carly's slim ring finger.

"We speak to Jason and Carly of love, in which the trust and freedom of the other person becomes as significant as the trust and freedom of one's self. We speak of our hopes for their continued growth through patience, one for the other. We speak of our confidence that new levels of understanding, discovered by them in experiences of sorrow and tribulation, shall bring ever new surprises of strength and fortitude they do not now know. In this hope may they keep the vows made on this day, teaching each other who they are, what they yet shall be, and that they share the fruits of their new life together," said Father Coates. "Those that God hath joined together let no man put asunder."

Carly looked at Jason, realizing that the moment was upon them, and broke out into a wide grin. Jason returned the smile, anticipating the moment that was to come.

"Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be a sanctuary to the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there is no isolation for you, no more loneliness. Now you are two, but there is only one life in front of you. Go now and enter into the days of your togetherness," Father Coates replied. "Jason and Carly, as you have declared your love and devotion to each other, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Jason, you may kiss your bride."

Carly squealed in delight as Jason captured her in a deep kiss. Lost in the moment, Carly forgot about everything around them except his lips, his arms, his heart. Finally, breaking away, Father Coates presented them, "Ladies and fentlemen, I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jason Morgan and family."

The crowd applauded as Jason scooped up Morgan and Carly positioned Michael between the newlyweds. After escaping to the back of the church, Michael looked at his mother and Jason. "Group hug?"

Jason only nodded as he wrapped his arms around his wife and two children.


	28. Chapter 28

Minutes later, Carly emerged from her dressing room with her gown bustled and her hair tied in an intricate knot. Waiting outside the door were her boys, her husband and her two sons. Carly flashed her infamous grin as she handed her bags to one of the guards that had magically appeared. Once they were gone, she went over and kissed Jason longingly. With a half smile, Jason bit his bottom lip. Looking at him, she knew what was on his mind.

"You'll just have to wait," she whispered into his ear before hoisting Morgan onto her hip.

Jason raised his eyebrow and slung his arm around Michael's shoulder. "We have a reception to get to."

"Yay! Cake!" Morgan giggled as Carly lifted him into the limo. As the car headed to Jake's, the family chattered about the day's events and their plans for Italy. When the car finally pulled up, Jason told the boys to go inside, leaving the newlyweds alone in the car.

"I can't believe we are going to have our reception in a bar," he said.

"It's where we started," she laughed.

"Well, we should probably get in there," he said, grabbing her hand. He led her out of the limo and into the bar where their guests were waiting.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jason Morgan!" Luke called as they walked through the door. Everyone burst into applause around them.

Jason scanned the room, taking it all in. There was Mike, Bobbie and Lucas seated at a table with the boys, looking as comfortable as could be. The same could be said for Luke, who was already on his third glass of scotch. The other Spencer children, including Elizabeth, were as equally at home as their father as they shot pool at a corner table with Emily. Only his parents looked out of place. Jason imagined that they had probably never been here. Leading Carly behind him, he went over to talk to them.

"Alan, Monica, I just want to thank you for being a part of today," Jason said.

Monica embraced Jason tightly. "Of course, you're our son."

"Yes, congratulations, Jason," Alan said. "You too, Carly. We wish you all the best."

"Thank you," she replied.

They made their rounds, talking to their family and friends. A few other guests had showed up by then, ones that they had only invited to the reception. Once they finally finished greeting everyone, they sat down with the boys to enjoy dinner.

"Morgan, you have to eat something. You're not just eating cake," Leticia told him,

"Mommy?"

"Morgan, what Leticia says goes."

"Oh, man."

Then, it was the moment that both Carly and Jason were dreading—the toast. Max was first, tapping the side of his champagne flute loudly.

"As most of you know, I'm Max, the best man. There are few words that can fully describe what Carly and Jason are when they are together. It's one of those things that shouldn't make sense but when you look at it, you wonder how it could ever be anything else. Seeing them today, with Michael and Morgan, nothing has ever been so right in the world. Theirs is a love that most only dream of. To Jason and Carly."

Bobbie stood up next, holding the slim glass in her hand. "In life, we all look for that perfect love. Carly and Jason have each sought that in each other. There are times when I know that she will drive him crazy, and I know that there will be times when she feels like he is not listening to her. They've had their ups and their downs, and I have never seen any two people fight like they can. But I've also never seen two people love like they can. There love is perfect in its imperfection. To my daughter and now my son."

Carly looked at Jason, realizing it was their turn to say something. Neither of them had anything prepared. "I'll go," she mouthed before standing up.

"Thank you, Max and Mama. Thank you all so much for sharing in this day with Jason and me. It would not have been the same without a single one of you, and we feel so blessed that we could have you all here as we start our lives together. I especially want to thank Michael and Morgan for being a part of this family. Without you two, today would have never happened. I guess the only other thing to say is, enjoy!"

Carly sat back down as Jason stood up. "Actually, there are two more things I would like to say, and they are both to my wife. First, I want to give her a gift," he said as Max handed him a long slim box.

"Uh, I got you a gift too," she said as Leticia produced a similar box. "Same time?"

He nodded as they both unfolded the paper. Carly burst out laughing as she realized they had bought each other the exact same gift.

"Cue sticks," she explained to the crowd. "Pool, that's how we met."

Everyone laughed until Jason started up again. "The only other thing I have to say is that, like this place, a game of pool and a few beers, this started it all too."

Suddenly, a slow, sultry rock ballad started to pour from the jukebox in the corner. Instantly recognizing the song, Carly covered her face in surprise. It was the song, the one they used to dance to all those years ago.

"You remembered," she said and kissed him briefly. "Our song."

"Of course I remembered, it's the only time I ever enjoyed dancing," he said as he took her hand in his. "Dance with me."

Around the room, family and friends watched as they made their way to the center of the bar. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Carly sidled up to Jason's body. His arms encased her waist, and like it was when they danced all those years ago, all there was that song and them.

"I'm waiting, I'm waiting for you. I'm aching, I'm aching for you," the song sang.

"I would have waited forever," she said so only he could here.

"You don't have to wait anymore, Carly. You don't have to wait anymore."

_Fin._

* * *

_Thank you so much _


End file.
